One of the craziest weeks that I have seen around here. Actually has been very helpful hang out and look at a simple basil plant growing that has no care in the world. Well, other than water and sunshine of course.
Anyway, some really great stuff coming your way as the summer abundance continues. Fire up those grills and enjoy some time with family and amigos.
The Dinner Bag for the Week
Fresh Sage Pasta and SKRS Green Chile Links with Spinach and Cherry Tomatoes
Slow Cooked Green Chile Chicken Burritos with Zucchini, Onions, and Potatoes
uh, yes please!
The food world is an interesting place to hang out. I feel like you see some of the most incredible things that literally can build your faith in humanity. Then, sometimes as you flip that coin over you can see some of the most depressing things imaginable. Many of those sad things come from the treatment of animals I have to say. The industrial treatment of animals is one of the biggest black eyes that we as human beings allow to happen on this earth.
Seeing this and reading stories about the treatment of animals made me passionate about finding another way to raise animals. A better way. And I am happy to say that we have.
You may not know this about me but I used to be a Vegetarian. When I was in school, I was so appalled by the practice of industrial animal production, that I ran away from it. As I got older and began to work like a horse in the fields, my body began craving meats. Some folks don’t, but my body was not happy with me any more being a Vegetarian.
So instead of running away from it, I embraced the challenge and began working to fix the situation instead of ignore it. At that time (around the turn of the century), I was feeling very positive about all of the work that we had done (were doing) with fresh healthy vegetables and fruits. Why not expand that mission into the realm of pasture-raised meats?
And this is where a lot of Vegetarians and Vegans get ticked at me. “Farmer M., don’t try and fix meat. Just don’t support it.” I get that logic, but for me, I need a broader solution. Folks are going to eat meat. That is just a fact. Expecting the entire world to be vegetarian is just not a realistic option.
Through my perspective, I want to bring insane fruits and veggies to those who choose to be meat-free. But I also want to bring an alternative to the industrial animal complex. For those of you who need/want/crave meat, I want to offer you something amazing. I want to offer you a flavor that you love, while being raised (and sacrificed) in a manner that you can be proud of and stand behind. (Don’t end a sentence with a preposition at home kids. I am a trained professional)
The beef and pork that we have now are the poster child for sustainable animal management. Animals born on the land, raised with their moms until they naturally wean, live their lives with their hooves in the soil, graze freely, and are sacrificed with minimal transport and stress. You honestly could not design a more natural and healthy system for animals to live.
And it was in finally working out this piece in our food puzzle that we brought so much depth to our offering folks. It helps complete the picture of what a sustainable healthy diet looks like. I tell you this not to try and break my arm patting myself on the back, but to educate our members. You need to know that the support you give to us (and our ranchers) changes the way food is grown and raised. We have options like we have never had before in this state.
If I were to distill down my entire mission to one word it would be Options. I am not here (nor do I want) to force feed you or be a jerk and make you feel guilty about your food choices. What I love to do and what I see as my directive from our members, is just provide incredible options to the mass marketplace of food options that are in front of us.
You choose what you want to eat. That is the free will that we have as human beings. If you want to eat fast-food 7 days a week, go for it. You are an adult and can obviously make your own choices. But if your body is calling for something more than fast-food, well we will have your food options for you.
So if you are looking for some tasty experiences on your grill this summer, I suggest you jump online and try some of our meats out if you haven’t already. We will always have our roots in our fruits and veggies, but you will be hard-pressed to find better meats than we are bringing you right now.
Farmer Monte